SGBA14 Notes: Who was your Role Model? What is a Role Model?

A respected individual (female) shared an interesting mathematics book. If it wasnÂt for her taking an interest in me, I wouldnÂt have been e

Connected with STEM between 9th and 12th grades. Due to exposure.

Started with Legos and building things.

Never was around people who said ÂI couldnÂt do it.Â Always prompted to ask why. Why did it work that way?

Role models may not be particularly people who were academic or in tech. They just exemplified the characteristics you find from people in tech Â curiosity/inquisitiveness.passion/etc

Was self-motivated

Liked be the only woman in a class of all men at school. It made me competitive.

Find that there is a disconnect or lack of interest in some schools to push math/logic beyond the Âclassroom.Â How do you give students ÂcontextÂ of what engineering in the Âreal worldÂ is like?

When there are no resources and what seems like no interest in providing them to you, how do you do it?

Challenges for young girls in school

Also have to deal with other complex social situations Â fitting in, self-esteem, etc. How do you help young girls who are inclined towards tech, but are afraid because they will not Âfit in.Â So it may not be about disinterest in tech, but helping children accept differences (even in the tech field!)

How do you help? Yes, it takes one girl at a time, but wouldnÂt it be easier to think broader?

-Â Â Â Brainstorm ideas

Parent/children meet-up. switch parents for Âmentorship.Â Sometime seeing something for a different parent not your own can be helpful.

Grassroots effort to connect women with teens for mentorship?

Share e-mails to provide info about mentorship opportunities

Try to understand the mentees and how they will define the mentorship

Level of commitment? One time, long term. Let people know that it can fit in their life,